Dubai university administrators accused of faking English language test scores

Come to our MENA Universities Summit from 2-4 February 2016

Two university administrators have appeared in a United Arab Emirates court accused of accepting bribes to change English language test scores.

The pair, a Russian and a Lebanese, are alleged to have accepted kickbacks totalling Dh184,500 (£32,000) from students at the American University in Dubai, The National reported.

In return, Dubai Criminal Court heard, they changed the learners’ results from fail to pass on two sets of English language exams. These were the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), run by Princeton-based Educational Testing Service, and the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), owned by a consortium which includes the British Council.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty, according to Gulf News.

The pair worked in the university’s admissions office and were responsible for processing the English exam documents, which are a prerequisite for university entry.

Approximately 20 students are alleged to have paid bribes to have their test results tampered with between December 2011 and January 2014.

Some of the students have since been expelled, the court heard.

Times Higher Education has contacted the American University in Dubai for comment. The case continues.